Coin World News Report:
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov announced on Monday that the popular messaging platform will now share user details with authorities regarding individuals who violate the application’s rules. This move comes after Durov’s arrest by French authorities last month, partly due to a lack of cooperation regarding illegal activities allegedly taking place on the platform.
In a post on Telegram, Durov stated that the company has updated its terms of service and is actively preventing the ability to search for illegal goods and activities through search. Users attempting to share illegal content through Telegram search can now have their IP addresses and phone numbers passed on to the authorities.
The post read, “Telegram search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods.”
Durov further stated, “We have explicitly made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities based on valid legal requests.”
Durov mentioned that the Telegram team is using artificial intelligence to make Telegram search “safer.” As a result, “problematic content” will no longer be displayed through the application’s search bar. This feature is allowed for those searching for groups, chats, and contacts.
French authorities had arrested Durov last month, claiming that Telegram, the encrypted messaging application, was being used as a platform for sharing illegal materials and was unresponsive to law enforcement requests.
French authorities also alleged that Durov is under investigation for unauthorized use of certain types of encryption technology on the platform in the country.
The Russian-born tech entrepreneur paid a 5 million euro ($5.5 million) bond and is released but under judicial supervision and cannot leave France.
Durov takes pride in Telegram’s privacy, but it is reportedly attracting criminals and fraudsters to the platform, which has nearly 1 billion users worldwide, to sell drugs, facilitate encrypted scams, or share images of child abuse.
Last year, Telegram gained additional appeal in the cryptocurrency industry due to the rise of the sector.
The Open Network (TON), a blockchain network initially created by Telegram, was abandoned in 2020 due to regulatory issues. It is now supported by a range of popular cryptocurrency games on the platform, including No Coin and Hamster Bats.
Furthermore, in recent months, Telegram itself has increasingly embraced the use of TON, including revenue sharing with paid channel operators and assisting with its Stars in-app currency.
Editor: Andrew Hayward